Are You Packing the Right Stuff?

Over the years of wheeling and kayaking, I have come to see how important and how easy it is to pack personal gear correctly. I am always shocked to see how many people are missing the most basic of clothing to survive. If a wheeler has been stuck in the outback and the weather turns, they should have equipment to stay warm or to walk out. Clothing is probably the biggest mistake we make. We as wheelers often bring the most basic of clothes. Example, a day run to Big Bear or the desert in the early fall. Days are warm but the nights can get very cold (maybe even freezing). But what is the problem, we are on a day run not a camping trip. Every day run has the great potential of being a camping trip. So if all you have to wear is long pants and a wind breaker, is that enough? 

Believe it or not, clothing is very simple to combine to make an excellent cold weather garment. One thing I have learned from kayaking is keep the clothes simple and as light weight as possible. First don't depend on cotton to be warm and dry in severe conditions. When cotton is wet, it offers little to no protection from the elements. Wool and modern fibers like Polyethylene and Gore-Tex makes a much better garment. An expedition weight Polly pullover and a Gore-Tex shell would yield the same protection as a heavy winter jacket. If a little more is needed just add a thin Wool or Polly sweater. This combination would be about 10 pounds lighter than that big jacket and be a lot more comfortable. Do not use cotton in this layering of garments. Cotton will retain moisture your body is putting out, causing a clammy feel next to your skin. Also you body has to work harder to stay warm. I find light Polly bottoms and expedition pants with a wind shell is more than adequate in the most severe condition I encounter. What most people say when I mention Gore-Tex is the cost. Yes it is quite pricey, but there are other types of cloth that work the same way (within reason). Polly type of garments range in price from just a few dollars to oh my god. Hats are an unusual thing. Base Ball caps do very little in bad conditions. We all laugh when Dean wears his hat with earflaps, or when Tom wears his chicken hat. But they are warm and we are not. The body looses heat through the scalp very fast. So a nice ski cap or some other such hats could save a life. Shoes, when was the last time you got your only pair wet (Holcomb Creek). Why not carry a  second pair, with socks. If you drive an open rig like a typical Jeep, you probably carry gloves (in winter). But try and leave a pair in all year. They may come in very handy in Joshua Tree, while you stand around the campfire. Now I can hear you saying, wow that is a lot of stuff. How can I carry all of it. Try to pick up a rucksack. Now the next question is what is a rucksack. It is a small backpack, or a big book bag. They can be found at many places around. Myself I us a large dry bag used for boating. Just load up the gear and leave it in your rig all the time. Above is a picture of Beth, on the Mojave Road, remember just off screen is a fellow wearing blue jeans and a thin windbreaker. Snow was not predicted, a chance of rain was. Where will you be when the weather turns? Will you be the one inside with nice and warm garments, or shivering in your summer wear?